It's the mobile devices people are bringing into their own cars, of course.

Sure, USB, Aux, and proprietary connectivity solutions are already inside cars so that people can plug their handheld devices into their cars. But once consumers start looking to send data -- downloaded from the Internet onto their handsets or tablets -- to backseat displays or any other devices inside the car, carmakers are now resorting to Bluetooth (already inside a car) or WiFi for executing such content transfer tasks, said Luca DeAmbroggi, senior analyst for automotive infotainment at IHS.

Just to be clear, DeAmbroggi isn't suggesting that wireless technologies are replacing existing in-car wired solutions, such as USBs for infotainment; CAN, FlexRay, or Ethernet for in-car networks; or embedded links used by in-car cameras designed for safety, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and others.

But the overall use of wireless inside a car is picking up, DeAmbroggi said.

(Source: IHS, July 2013)

In the automotive market, for example, the USB legacy wired connectivity solution is "being challenged by wireless mechanisms in cars such as Bluetooth for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances, as well as embedded cellular for two-way wireless telematics connectivity," the analyst explained.

Bluetooth in cars, we understand. The question is, which versions of those wireless technologies are being embraced by automotive companies, as the rest of the world is quickly moving onto the next-generations of faster WiFi and lower-power Bluetooth?

DeAmbroggi noted that automakers are now looking at Bluetooth 4.0 (based on Bluetooth Low Energy) and 802.11ab, for example. The Bluetooth 4.0 will offer higher transfer speeds with the high-speed (HS) option, while ensuring that gadgets stay paired longer and take up less power, he explained.

But of course, neither Bluetooth 4.0 nor 802.11ab is capable of transferring big data -- such as video captured by in-car camera, which needs to be high-resolution with no compression allowed. Further, when consumers want to stream HD video from their smartphone to backseat display, neither wireless technology will cut it.

WiGig in cars
Panasonic, for one, announced last year an after-market wireless product based on the new WiGig technology, supporting data transmission rates up to 7 Giga bit per second by using 60GHz frequency band. In the demonstration, the Japanese company showed a passenger transferring media from the tablet to a display mounted in the passenger seat. An exchange of content also takes place from the car's computer over to the tablet; the passenger checks out auto information such as readings on tire pressure and battery capacity.

While Panasonic's video demo has gotten a lot of attention, DeAmbroggi doesn't believe it has reached the commercial market yet.

Wireless conundrum
Regardless of different wireless technologies currently under consideration for in-car usages, one thing is for sure: Consumers will always crave for bigger and faster wireless solutions, as long as their own mobile devices are bridged to the Internet and they download more content. Nothing can stop consumers' insatiable appetite.

At minimum (without even going to WiGig), though, one way to address the wireless conundrum in cars is to make sure that there will be WiFi in a car so that any overflow of data can be transferred by switching the technology from Bluetooth to WiFi, the IHS analyst said.

However, DeAmbroggi said that he isn't sure if automotive OEMs will prefer a decoupled solution for Bluetooth and WiFi in cars, or if they will opt instead for a combo approach that optimizes cost and reduces the design workload.

Almost all of the smartphones these days use WiFi/Bluetooth combo chips. Why wouldn't carmakers use them?

DeAmbroggi reminded, "First, those combo chips used in mobile devices are not automotive qualified parts."

Second, he said, "My concern is the cost issue. Even though the broader diffusion of wireless technologies points to integrated combo solutions being used in the future, a separate chip approach is more likely -- at least in the short term."

That's due to the still limited pull of WiFi in automotive, he explained. "The integration of WiFi is still limited to premium cars." Automotive OEMs are weighing the cost, use-case scenarios (for tablets and mobile phones inside a car) and bandwidth requirements, he added.

Regardless of the wireless technology to be used in cars, DeAmbroggi cautioned that there are a number of issues and concerns that "must be taken into
consideration prior to implementation."

They include "signal reception, electromagnetic interference, increasing system complexity because of varying wireless frequency spectrums, and regional differences and specifications," he explained. Such variables, in turn, will affect the cost of the wireless system and components to be included.

You wrote:
It takes years to get "into cars" and with a burgeoning commercial market, many vendors probably don't think it is worth the learning curve.
@Janine, I totally get that. But I beg to differ on your second point. Believe me, every major wireless chip company I talk to is deeply interested in moving their consumer chips into the automotive market by getting their chips automotive qualified.

This says WiGig transfers huge video files from tablet to car (not direct from the Internet?). A simple cheap USB or WiFi will do that quite nicely. Then the car sends to the user (using a $600 tablet/phone) such useless data as tire pressure and battery state; which probably require about 64 bytes of data, and that data may change from week to week. What big problem is being solved by this technology? How about telling me precisely what component on the engine is throwing the P0171 trouble code and whether it needs cleaning, replacement, or just a jiggle on the connector? The dealer would charge $150 for that one-time info.

Most of the cell phone chip makers are watching for Automotive industry. I know Nvidia/Qualcomm/Broadcom and other such companies ar elooking into Automotive industry as well however none of those companies are right now actively pursuing these chips. My feeling is that WiFI + BT are not going to solve prolem in longer term, there need a whole new system to support the need. A system that can integrate all high data requirement needs within car + integrate system to cell phone netowrk and system that can easily connect them to home network as well.

@Junko, my understanding from working with clients in the automotive market is that you don't just "enter the market." It is an establishment of trust and vendor longevity process that is, perhaps, more like the mil/aero market then the consumer one. It takes years to get "into cars" and with a burgeoning commercial market, many vendors probably don't think it is worth the learning curve.

I wonder if it means that current combo chip suppliers for phones/tablets are not interested in making "automotive-qualified" versions. Or, they are simply holding back, to see if car OEMs believe the combo is the way to go...

As others have noted, designing chips for the automotive industry may be a big leap for some of the manufacturers who have traditionally been supplying parts for consumer devices like smartphones and tablets. A similar situation exists for the space industry, which Rajan Bedi recently discussed in a blog post - You guys are dinosaurs! - on EDN.

Chip making for Automotive industry is bit different than cell phone or tablets. Usually automotive system needs lot more reliability under extreme conditions and redundancy too. You certainly cannot afford to have wireless rear view camera image chopy or stuck due to some wireless noise around causing network congestion. And of couse you dont like nearby car causing interfearence in your car wireless system.

It will be interesting to see how we slowly moves from using wireless beyond just entertainment system.